Updated: May 2022

In 1978, the first ten days of May were officially recognized as Asian American Heritage Week after President Jimmy Carter signed a resolution. This week expanded into a month-long recognition in 1990, then was officially renamed Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by President George H.W. Bush. The month of May was chosen as a tribute to the first Japanese immigrants to the United States in 1843.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system is honored to recognize this diverse community by sharing the following materials from our catalog.

Nonfiction:

• Anuradha Bhagwati’s memoir Unbecoming details her transformation into a Marine Captain despite her strict Indian-American upbringing.  
• Nicole Chung’s All You Can Ever Know describes the author’s journey to learn about her Korean heritage and past after she was adopted at two months old. 
• Wajahat Ali’s memoir Go Back to Where You Came From, is a humorous account of the xenophobia he experienced while growing up in America.
• Afterparties, Anthony Veasna So’s short story collection, portrays the lives of Cambodian-Americans in California and was on multiple 2021 “Best Books” lists.
• Maui native Alana Kyser shares Hawaii’s food history in Aloha Kitchen, a collection of diverse recipes.
• Cathy Erway, author of the blog The Art of Eating In, explores Taiwanese cuisine in her The Food of Taiwan.
• Top Chef alum Preeti Mistry dishes out Indian-Ugandan-American recipes and anecdotes in The Juhu Beach Club Cookbook. 
• Kian Lam Kho’s Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees is a must for any home chef seeking authentic Chinese cooking techniques.
• Top Chef alum Leah Cohen explores her Filipino roots with Southeast Asian recipes in Lemongrass and Lime.

Fiction:

Amy Tan rose to fame with 1991's portrayal of Chinese-American women in The Joy Luck Club.  Discover these other Asian-American authors today!

• Laila Lalami’s The Other Americans is a family saga/murder mystery, following a California family after their immigrant father’s death.
• Fans of Lisa See’s The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane will enjoy her novel China Dolls, the story of three Chinese-American women in 1940s San Francisco. 
• Lisa Ko's 2017 The Leavers, a finalist for the National Book Award, explores the relationship between a single Chinese immigrant and her abandoned U.S. born son.
• Chia-Chia Lin’s debut The Unpassing features a Taiwanese-American family’s coping with death in the wake of the Challenger tragedy.
• Jean Kwok’s Searching for Sylvie Lee, one of the most anticipated summer reads, unearths a Chinese immigrant family’s secrets after a sister goes missing. 

Click here to find all titles listed above.

We have more than just books celebrating Asian Americans! Chinese American Jon Chu directed the immensely popular Crazy Rich Asians, based on Kevin Kwan’s book series. Indian-American director M. Night Shyamalan is known for his suspenseful, twisting thrillers. Hawaiian-born Bruno Mars keeps you dancing all night long with his mixes of R&B, reggae, soul and pop music. Try one of these Asian-American artists!

• Korean American indie rock band Run River North.
• Korean American R&B singer/rapper Jay Park. 
• Check out the multitalented rapper and songwriter Anderson.Paak (also half of the 2022 Record of the Year Grammy winners Silk Sonic).
• Michelle Zauner pulls double duty as the lead vocalist for the band Japanese Breakfast and author of the critically acclaimed memoir Crying in H. Mart.
• Catch Awkwafina’s Golden Globe winning performance in The Farewell, and other films that celebrate AAPI heritage on Kanopy, free once you log in with your Library card.
• Kanopy also has an entire section devoted to Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. 

Did you know the Library has materials in more than a dozen languages, including Telugu, Gujarati, Marathi and Vietnamese? Contact your local branch to see what languages are offered.   

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has all the resources you need to discover a new culture or embrace your heritage!

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This blog was written by Kristi Atkins, librarian at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

WineFest goers twenty-one and up sampled more than 100 wines, listened to music and filled their bellies along the boardwalk this past April. To get you in the mood to enjoy wine in the upcoming hot, hot months, we’ve paired some of the most popular wines with books and movies. 

Try Wine Reads or The Booklovers' Guide to Wine for how to pair your wines with books. Or, take our word for it with this list. 

Book clubs can pair a book with a different wine each month; cozy mysteries’ fun, pun-filled titles make it easy to pick and pair. Try Ellen Crosby’s Wine Country series, Joni Folger, or Nadia Gordon. 

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most popular red wine in the United States. Often described as “full-bodied” or “complex,” it’s a major industry in cool climates from California to Chile. Try with the complex characters found in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple  or Isabel Allende’s Chilean saga Daughter of Fortune. 

Merlot, derived from the French word for “blackbird,” has hints of plums and is considered a blending grape. Pair a big glass with Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum crime series or Chris Bohjalian’s around-the-world thriller The Flight Attendant. 

Chianti is a dry red Italian wine and pairs well with pizza. Enjoy a glass with your next slice while watching Mystic Pizza. This wine also is best enjoyed with fava beans according to Hannibal Lector; sip it while reading Thomas Harris’ other works.    

Pinot Noir made popular in the 2005 movie Sideways, is a crowd-pleasing lighter red wine. Try it with universal crowd-pleasers like Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist or any title by Agatha Christie.

A light and fruity Chardonnay pairs with “cheesy” cozy mysteries like Avery Aames’ For Cheddar or Worse or The Long Quiche Goodnight. This wine also is perfect for lighter beach reads by Dorothea Benton Frank, Mary Kay Andrews, or Elin Hilderbrand. Be sure you’ve signed up for Wowbrary to sign up for new release by these popular authors! 

Are you afraid of acids? Do tannins terrify you? If you feel intimated by wine lingo, get up to speed with these handy guides and tutorials:

• Try columnist Marissa Ross’ humorous take on wine education in Wine, All the Time.
• Ophélie Neiman’s Wine Isn't Rocket Science takes the guesswork out of wine tasting in an easy-to-follow guide.
• Karen MacNeil’s The Wine Bible (digital only) routinely shows up on top 10 lists.
• The Beginner’s Guide to Wine class via Universal Class is free with your library card. 
• If you have mastered the basics, Madeline Puckett’s Wine Folly takes your wine knowledge to a higher level. 

For a different kind of pairing, come to one of the Library’s book clubs that take place at local wine bars or breweries! Our graphic novel book club meets every fourth Monday at the Wine Vault in the University City area. In May, the 20s and 30s book club discussed Charlotte author Kimmery Martin’s The Queen of Hearts. 

Didn’t make it to WineFest this year? Mark your calendars for the next WineFest event planned for April 18, 2020. In the meantime, we hope the varieties and suggested titles above will take you to the vineyard of your dreams this summer!

NOTICE: This blog was updated on June 8, 2022 to include updated Pride resources and event information.

Happy Pride!

At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, we are on a mission to improve lives and build a stronger community. In conjunction with that value, we believe that every person, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, identity, gender or gender identity, level of education, socio-economic status, etc., has the right to have their voices heard and to be their authentic selves without fear of retribution or castigation from society. It is both a privilege and an honor to stand beside the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, yearlong, as members, friends and allies.

Proud Beginnings

On June 28, 1969, the New York Police Department raided the historic Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, in Manhattan. Police raids on gay establishments were common in the 1950s and 1960s when social and political anti-gay and homophile efforts flourished. Gay bars were places of refuge where LGBT people could safely be in community without fear of public ridicule or police aggression. However, on that fateful morning, patrons of the Stonewall Inn decided to fight back against the police and the injustices against them. The week-long riots, which coincided with the civil rights and feminist movements, became the catalyzing moments that birthed the gay liberation movement.

Progression of Liberties

Just six months after the uprising at Stonewall, numerous grassroots gay and human rights organizations began to form across the U.S. such as the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA). Since the Stonewall riots, the LGBT community has made many strides against injustice. In October 1979, the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights took place in D.C. which drew an estimated attendance of 75,000-125,000 supporters. On March 2, 1982, Wisconsin became the first U.S. state to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and in April 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage. For a current list of LGBT rights, milestones and fast facts click here.



A Celebration of LGBT History

In addition to national pride celebrations in June and locally in August (moved in 2021 to October), October was established as Gay and Lesbian History Month by a Missouri high school teacher, Rodney Wilson, in 1994.  Rodney worked with other teachers and community leaders to secure a month where public school was in session, and everyone could celebrate and learn about gay and lesbian history. According to LGBTHistoryMonth.com, October was selected for its existing tradtions, such as National Coming Out Day which falls annually on October 11. To see this year's LGBT History Month icons, click here.

Additional Information

In 1999, the U.S. National Park Service added the Stonewall Inn to the National Register of Historic Places and in 2016, President Barack Obama designated the inn a national monument.

For literary resources and suggest LGBT titles from the Library, be sure to check out the LGBT, Raising Rainbows: Parenting Books for LGBTQ+  Parents, Children, And Allies and LGBTQIA Teen booklists. 

To celebrate Rainbow Book Month™ with the American Library Association, click here.

To learn more about LGBT rights and how you can get involved, please visit the American Civil Liberties Union.

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This blog was written by Asha Ellison, marketing & communications specialist at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Sources:

Images and information from History.com, LGBTHistoryMonth.com and The Stonewall Inn.

Update: While we prepare to close Scaleybark for our move to South Boulevard, the Scaleybark location will reduce services and programs. Starting 9 a.m. Monday January 6, 2020, only HOLDS,  PICKUPS & RETURNS for materials will be available at Scaleybark. If you need Wi-Fi, computers, programs or other services, please visit another nearby branch location including Myers Park, West Boulevard, Main Library or another location here. We apologize for the inconvenience, and look forward to serving you in the new location on South Boulevard.

Scaleybark Library moves to new location with a new name
It’s a new building with a new look. The Scaleybark Library re-opens as South Boulevard Library on Monday, January 13, 2020 at 9 a.m. The new branch is located at 4429 South Boulevard – approximately 0.4 miles south of its former location*.

The branch remains an essential connector in the community. The Library continues to offer services, programs, Wi-Fi and computer use, along with a wide selection of books and audio-visual materials including DVDs, CDs and audiobooks, but the new South Boulevard location offers more space and resources to the growing local community. 

Note: The materials/book drop will stay open at Scaleybark until 9 a.m. Monday, January 13, 2020, when South Boulevard Library officially opens. After that time, it will close permanently and all materials should be returned to the South Boulevard location.

What's new at South Boulevard Library? 
In its brand-new location, South Boulevard Library boasts 18,850 square feet – an increase of 13,350 square feet (nearly 300%) from the old location. South Boulevard includes new spaces for both children and teens, public computers, children’s computers, three self-checkouts, an expanded community room, a dedicated children’s program room, a quiet reading room, five group study rooms, a laptop bar for customers who want to bring their own devices, many collaborative spaces and a vending café. Features include free Wi-Fi, audio-visual capabilities and a public computer lab with 12 computers.

There are two entrances to the branch, one in the front (facing South Boulevard) and one in the back of the building, along with ample parking spots in both locations.

Additionally, South Boulevard customers will be excited to know that the branch’s materials collection has increased by 20%, with the largest growth happening in picture books (50% increase), Young Adult and Teen Collections (45% increase) and World Languages (38% increase).

Library Hours
Starting January 13, 2020, South Boulevard Library begins normal operating hours. The Library is open Mondays through Thursdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The branch is closed on Sundays. The Scaleybark branch location will close its doors on Saturday, January 11, 2020, after regular business hours and will no longer accept holds or pickups.

Library Holds and Pick-ups
Scaleybark customers with items currently on hold can pick those items up at Scaleybark through January 11, 2020. Those items will seamlessly transition to be available for pick-up at South Boulevard beginning January 13, 2020. Any new holds placed after January 13, should be designated for pick-up at the new South Boulevard location by selecting it from the drop-down in the Library catalog.

Returning books and materials to South Boulevard Library
Customers may return books and materials at designated drop-boxes throughout the Library facility. (Please note after January 13, the old Scaleybark branch location will no longer accept returns.)

Funding for South Boulevard Library
Public funding for the South Boulevard project was approved in 2019 by Mecklenburg County and cost $1.7 million. The project was managed by Mecklenburg County’s Asset and Facility Management Team, the architect was Robert Johnson Architects and the builder/contractor was Shiel Sexton Company, Inc. The South Boulevard relocation is the fourth of several projects for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system; Morrison Regional Library was renovated and re-opened in 2017, North County Regional Library was renovated and re-opened in 2019, and South County Regional Library currently closed for renovations until early 2021.

When’s the celebration?
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will host a Grand Opening at South Boulevard Library with a ribbon cutting ceremony and lots of activities inside the branch. Watch for dates and times to be announced.

See you at the new South Boulevard Library location soon!

*The Scaleybark branch location will close on Saturday, January 6, 2020, after regular business hours and will only be open for returns and holds during normal business hours through January 11. The materials/book drop will remain open until Monday, January 13 at 9 a.m. and then will close permanently. All materials should be taken to the South Boulevard branch for return after this time.

NOTE: This blog is the second in a series on the history of winter holidays. Hanukkah was covered in this series and Kwanzaa comes next. Stay tuned!

Before there was Winston-Salem, there were two distinctive towns-- Winston and Salem. Salem was established by the Moravians in 1766. The Moravians were a Protestant church that began in what is now known as the Czech Republic. During the colonial period, Salem became a central trading center in North Carolina’s backcountry. Today, visitors continue to visit “Old Salem” which retains its early charms.  

Several Moravian traditions are incorporated in how we celebrate winter holidays in North Carolina. The delicious Moravian sugar cookies that we enjoy are now more available than ever and are particularly popular during the holidays. Many Moravian churches throughout the state hosts a colonial tea. The Moravians further celebrate on Christmas Eve with a traditional Love Feast, which dates back to the 1700s. Tapered, beeswax candles wrapped in red ribbons are lit then distributed to everyone present including the children. Hymns are sung and it all ends with the eating of sweet buns served with milky coffee or tea.  

In many homes throughout North Carolina, you will find a Moravian Star decorating the home. This 28-point star became popular in Germany and eventually in America and Europe where there are Moravian congregations. In Germany, they are known as Herrnhut stars, named after the Moravian Mother Community in Saxony, Germany, where they were first commercially produced. 



To learn more about Moravian Christmas, visit the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room on the third floor of Main Library.

Photo courtesy of Our State Magazine 

NOTE: This blog is the third and final in a series on the history of winter holidays. We've covered Hanukkah,  Moravian Christmas and now Kwanzaa.

What is your favorite memory from celebrating Kwanzaa?  

Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26-January 1. The celebration was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University-Long Beach, in 1966 to celebrate the African culture and the African harvest.  

After the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles and a series of police clashes, Karenga formed a discussion group called “The Circle” to spread awareness of issues that plagued the Black community. He felt that the black community didn’t have a holiday that they could identify with, so he created one. 

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Courtesy of SporcleBlog 

Kwanzaa is a Pan-African cultural holiday, uniting people of African descent all over the world. Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza,” meaning “first fruits.” 

There are seven candles to represent each pillar of Kwanzaa:  

• Unity (Umoja) 
• Self-determination (Kujichaguila) 
• Collective work and responsibility (Ujima) 
• Cooperative economics (Ujamaa) 
• Purpose (Nia) 
• Creativity (Kuumba) 
• Faith (Imani)

Unity means doing everything together as a family, community, nation and race. Self-determination is defining, naming, creating and speaking for themselves as a nation. Collective work and responsibility mean solving family problems together. Cooperative economics is to profit from businesses together. Purpose is restoring people and their community to greatness. Creativity is to do everything possible to make their communities more beautiful than it was when it was inherited. Faith is believing in the community and the victory of their struggle. 

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Courtesy of History.com 

There are also seven symbols of Kwanzaa:  

• Woven mat (Mkeka) 
• Candleholder (Kinara) 
• Seven candles (Mishumaa saba) 
• Unity cup (Kikombe cha umoja) 
• Ear of corn (Vibunzi) 
• Bowl of fruits and vegetables (Mazao) 
• Gifts for children (Zawadi).  

African culture, history, foundation, identities and aspirations are demonstrated by the woven mat. During Kwanzaa, reflections on the past and how it benefits the future are made. The mats were made from straw, African mud cloth, and other African textiles. This is the foundational symbol upon which the other symbols are placed. 

Ancestry is honored through the candleholder, standing tall as the original stalk from which African ancestors came. Sun and light are depicted by the seven candles (3 red, 3 green, 1 black). The red candles stand for Kujichaguila (self-determination), Ujimaa (cooperative economics), and Kuumba (creativity); the green candles stand for Nia (purpose), Ujima (collective work and responsibility and Imani (faith); the black candle stands for Umoja (unity). Each night, one candle is lit, and the purposes are reflected upon.  

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Courtesy of KwanzaaKeepers.com

The unity cup celebrates the ritual that takes place on the sixth day of Kwanzaa (tambitko). During this ritual, each person takes a sip of a libation (a drink made of juice, wine or water). The eldest person in the room blesses the cup, holds the libation to the four winds (north, south, east, and west) to bless their ancestors, pours some on the floor and says "Amen." The elder will always drink the last drops of the libation. 

One ear of corn is given to each family to represent the children. It signifies the lessons in discipline, positive thinking, expectations, compassion and self-direction the child is expected to carry forward to future generations. In families without children, an ear of corn is given to support the children of the community.  

Fruits and vegetables depict the African harvest festival, reaffirming the commitment to the unity, thanksgiving, joy and sharing of the work put into planning all economic parts of the community. Laws, values and customs recognize those that fed the community and the animals. 

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Courtesy of the Long Beach Post 

Joy, family and thanksgiving are the meaning behind the fruit basket. The baskets of fruit also demonstrate the farmers’ sacrifice and collective labor to reaffirm commitment and responsibility to the community.  

Throughout Kwanzaa, gifts are given to children in order to promote self-determination, purpose and creativity. These are normally handmade to avoid the chaos of the Christmas shoppers. Examples of gifts include dolls, mats or cards. You become part of the family when you accept a gift, and it is that person’s responsibility to continue the gift giving if they are the host.  

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“Kwanzaa.” History.com. Accessed December 2019. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/kwanzaa-history 

Watson, Stephanie. “The History of Kwanzaa.” HowStuffWorks. Accessed December 2019. https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-other/kwanzaa2.htm. 

This holiday season, many people will give the gift of genetic ethnicity tests. During the last few years, the popularity of consumer DNA tests like AncestryDNA and 23andMe has noticeably soared. As of early 2019, MIT Technology Review estimated that more than 26 million people had taken an at-home ancestry test. Continuing at that rate, they estimate that the number could grow to more than 100 million people within 24 months.



As additional people submit their DNA to these test providers, existing customers may find their test results evolving. In fact, the top-selling test, AncestryDNA, recently announced to customers that their test results have been updated. Ancestry calls it their “most precise breakdown yet.” This is not the first time that results have been updated, and updates will continue to happen periodically as more people take the test (at no additional charge to the customer). So, why exactly do these updates happen and how do they impact your ethnicity estimate? 

Photo courtesy of Ancestry.com 

Though they are always adding new features, AncestryDNA test results are primarily made up of an ethnicity estimate and DNA matches. When calculating ethnicity estimates, customers’ DNA is compared to a reference panel comprised of DNA samples from people with long family histories in a single region or group. Test takers’ DNA segments are assigned to the population in the reference panel that they are most similar to.

With each update, customers may find that their ethnicity estimates change—sometimes quite drastically. In some cases, your percentages from a specific region may differ from those in previous estimates, or new regions may suddenly appear. Some regions, especially those with low percentages, may disappear from your ethnicity estimate entirely. According to Ancestry, more samples allow them to do two things: divide the world into more regions and create a more precise picture of what the DNA “fingerprint” from those specific regions looks like. With the latest update, the more closely related ethnicities have been better resolved and the ethnicity estimates have been split into smaller, more defined regions. Simply put—your DNA has not changed, but as the data pool has grown, your results have evidently become more precise.  

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library offers free access to Ancestry.com Library Edition in all library branches. Here in the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room, where we specialize in local history and genealogy, we often get questions from patrons about deciphering their genetic ethnicity test results. If you have any specific questions about AncestryDNA or genealogy in general, feel free to contact us. We can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (704) 416-0150. Our staff is always happy to offer guidance! 

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The feature photo of the Ancestry DNA test kits accompanying this article is from SmarterHobby.com.

Countries around the world celebrated the new year at different times based on the calendar they chose to follow. The first of the year would align based on an astrological or agricultural event, which explains the difference in calendars. For Egyptians, it was after the Nile River flooded. In China, it was after the second new moon.



The earliest recorded new year’s celebration occurred in March (on the Gregorian calendar) about 4,000 years ago in Babylon, in an ancient Mesopotamian city located in what is present-day Iraq. Babylonians observed Akitu (derived from the Sumerian word for barley) to celebrate the new year with an 11-day religious festival. This festival allowed them to practice rituals, elect a new ruler or approve the continuation of the current ruler and celebrate the victory of the sky god, Marduk, over the sea goddess, Tiamat. (Right photo: Chinese New Year Mongkol Chuewong/Getty)                                              



What we know as a 365-day year used to be much shorter. Romulus, the founder of Rome and ruler in the 8^th century BC, created and enforced a 10-month calendar with 304 days. A later Roman ruler, Numa Pompilius, added the two months of Januarius and Februarius, but the calendar eventually fell out of sync with the sun.

Julius Caesar ultimately created the Julian calendar, which is closely related to the Gregorian calendar the world uses today. Caesar is credited with choosing January 1 as the first day of the year to honor the month’s namesake, Janus, the god of beginnings. Janus was believed to be a two-faced god who could look behind into the past and forward into the future.

Today, the world continues to celebrate the new year in a variety of festive (and delicious) ways. In Spain, a dozen grapes are hung right before midnight to symbolize hope in the months ahead. Financial success is symbolized by eating legumes and lentils in Italy and black-eyed peas in the southern United States. In Cuba, Austria and Hungary, pork is eaten to represent progress and prosperity. Ring-shaped cakes and pastries are eaten in the Netherlands, Mexico and Greece to show how the year has come full circle. Good luck and fortune are represented in Sweden and Norway by a hidden nut in rice pudding. (Left photo: NYE Copenhagen, dailyscandinavian.com)

It is encouraging to know that for at least 4,000 years, the new year has always been perceived as a fresh start with hope, joy and pending success.

What are some of your New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day traditions?

Times Square Seth Wenig/AP

This blog was updated December 31, 2020.

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Citations:

“New Year’s.” History.com. Accessed December 2019. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/new-years

Did you know that the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is present on multiple social media platforms? It’s true and we’d love to connect with you! Whether you’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or all four, following or “liking” us on social media can help you stay better informed about Library events, programs, news and updates.

Are you a Mecklenburg County teen? Connect with us on Instagram at @CMLibraryTeens. CMLibraryTeens is a safe place, exclusively for teens, to connect with their favorite Teen Services staff and peers. It's also a place for book hauls, talks, games, live programs and more. Don't miss out!

But It doesn’t stop there. Nope!

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is committed to improving lives and building a stronger community by also ensuring customers and community members see themselves reflected in the inclusive, rich and diverse content we post. Customers and members of the community are also welcome to follow us on Flickr where they can find photos from Library events and programs happening at branch locations and other partner organizations in their own neighborhoods.

Don’t miss your opportunity to “friend” the Library and engage with us. Whether you decide to add, like or follow the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, we look forward to socializing with you. Connect with us today!

The Charlotte Mecklenburg library system in a large library system with many teen volunteers across twenty branches. Our focus for the grant this year was to choose a branch that does not have a high recruitment and retention rate for teen volunteers. Our Sugar Creek branch is in a low-income and widely served area in our county, and in the past, we have had teens not complete the summer volunteering program at this branch.

Our teen interns were integral to making some of our summer programs a success. Summer Interns assisted with our Summer Reading Kickoff at the beginning of summer. Each intern operated a STEAM station and helped the Children’s Department with various projects such as, prepping Summer Reading materials, Summer Reading registration, book displays, and programs. They maintained weekly shelf-reading assignments which included pulling duplicate copies from our fiction and nonfiction collection as well as processed Book Sale items, and they have assisted the Circulation Department by pulling morning holds and processing daily delivery. 

The teen interns were asked which experience this summer was the most meaningful, and each of them gave a different view of why libraries are so important for teens. One of our interns, Treyson, also volunteered to be Clifford the Big Red Dog as part of the Summer Reading Kickoff. As Treyson was dressed as Clifford the Big, Red Dog in the summer sun, he said that even though it was a very hot costume, he “didn’t have to wear it” and that he “wanted to”, especially seeing how happy it made the children to see him.

Aleah shared about a moment when she was shelving in the children’s department, there was a child who told her she did not have anyone to play with. So, Aleah started coloring on the chalkboard with her, and she commented that she enjoyed spending time with the child, instead of leaving her alone. Aleah also stated that volunteering “gave her an excuse to read”. She never put books on hold before this summer, and now has a large stack. She also discovered ebooks and audiobooks and sometimes requests them at the same time!

Kaliyah has goals to become a graphic designer, and during this internship, she spent time with a staff person who is also an artist. The staff member gave her tips for her art and showed her how she can market her art as well. This internship gave her a connection she may have not made before.

Giving the teens several opportunities to work and collaborate with each other and library staff really benefited Sugar Creek. They were able to shine through their different personalities and have a fun experience, while learning how a library operates. This experience showed growth in each of the teens as well. By giving them a variety of tasks, they were able to find their niche, and they had a very positive impression of the library. By making the tasks fun and diverse, the teens committed 229 hours this summer, and there was no concern about retention.

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This post was reprinted with permission from the Young Adult Library Services Association blog. It was writen by Hayley Burson, teen librarian, at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.